5 Small-space Irrigation Options

Delivering the H2O your plants need to produce the best veggies is a job to be taken seriously. Too much water and you can drown the roots; too little and your plant will under-produce. There are as many irrigation options for container gardening and backyard gardens as there are urban-farmer personalities. Here are five low-maintenance […]

Delivering the H2O your plants need to produce the best veggies is a job to be taken seriously. Too much water and you can drown the roots; too little and your plant will under-produce. There are as many irrigation options for container gardening and backyard gardens as there are urban-farmer personalities. Here are five low-maintenance systems to consider for your needs:

1. Self-watering containers. Whether you build your own with Urban Farm’s instructions or purchase a ready-made self-watering container (also called a self-irrigating planter), you can kick back and let the built-in irrigation channel do the watering work.

2. Ollas. Just bury these little water reservoirs throughout your garden, and don’t worry about water again until they run dry.

3. Drip irrigation. A favorite of dry-climate gardeners, these systems deliver the moisture directly to the plant — no worries about runoff from hoses or watering cans.

4. Water-absorbing materials. Guard against loss of precious water with materials that keep it next to your plants’ roots: compost, mulch and water-absorbing crystals are three options to trap water where it belongs.

5. Ditch it. With a little help from our friend gravity, an irrigation ditch carries water where it needs to go — right to your plants.

Freelance writer Lisa Munniksma is the former editor of Hobby Farms magazine and the writer of HobbyFarms.com’s “The News Hog.” She left the office for the farm in 2011 and is now part of an organic vegetable and livestock farm in Kentucky. During the winter, she travels to warm climates to learn about farming in other parts of the world. Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/freelancefarmerchickFOLLOWMORE ARTICLES